Devastated by his father’s sudden death, eight-year-old Ricky begins to see things—a ghostly silhouette in his bedroom window, a gruesome train accident involving four local teenagers, a terrorist attack that won’t occur for another twenty-five years. After a traumatic incident at a New England summer camp, the visions become more frequent, more vivid, and more disturbing. A mysterious voice assures him everything will be okay if he crosses the “threshold.” But just what is the threshold? And what lies beyond?
A Hero Dreams has garnered the following awards:
- National Indie Excellence Awards – New Fiction (Winner) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist)
- IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards – Popular Fiction (Silver Winner)
- Next Generation Indie Book Awards – First Novel (Finalist) and Inspirational Fiction (Finalist)
- Best Book Awards – Best New Fiction (Finalist) and Visionary Fiction (Finalist)
"Ristau’s writing is dramatic and poetic . . . The work invites examination of universal themes . . . In the classic tradition of heroic adventures, Ristau richly textures the story with obstacles of sibling rivalry, peer pressure, and bullying, while paving the way for thematic explorations of good vs evil, love and hate, honor, guilt, and forgiveness."
“A Hero Dreams is a stunning blend of the all-too-real life of little Ricky, not yet ten years old, and the surreal world he creates for himself to survive . . . Beautiful images and scenes contrast with the hardness and brutality of real life to create a montage of what existence and survival is like for one, lonely little boy. A fine read for the drama, and the poetry will stay with you for a long time.”
"A HERO DREAMS takes us from the relatively normal childhood of Ricky Williamson — to a point where he must decide whether to allow the sorrows of the world to burden him or whether to step free into a magical place where all is possible. Mark Ristau has written a lovely book that tantalizes us with the line between reality and all that might be beyond."
“An elegantly written and heart wrenching tale that transports readers to a time not so long ago, and yet a lifetime away. Ristau leaves us wanting to devour the next installment in the series."
Have you ever found yourself on the edge of a threshold, wanting with all your heart to take that next step, but something held you back?
In A Hero Dreams, you'll discover the courage of a young boy who risks everything to step over a threshold and into another world--an unknown world where he embarks on a life-transforming journey...
Join debut indie author Mark Ristau at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 21 at Common Goods Books in St. Paul, Minnesota to celebrate the launch of A Hero Dreams...
